Customer Reviews

Schirmer Pronouncing Pocket Manual of Musical Terms Edition: 5

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4 star:		(3)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have been in the field of music education for over 35 years, earning two Ph.D.s and an Ed.D. This wonderful dictionary, originally published as Dr. Theodore Baker's, "Pocket Manual of Musical Terms", (©1933 by Schirmer) was in use by most of my own piano instructors as a valuable tool for both students and teachers alike. And, the subsequent editions up to this one, were able to maintain that same high level of authorship without sacrificing what the book was used for, namely-- a quick "look-up" dictionary. However, Ms. Laura Kuhn, the "new" editor, has managed to destroy through her ignorance of classical music and political correctness, so many of the classical terms and has deleted a great many others using a method I am unable to fathom.
After teaching thousands of piano and music theory students in the private sector and in universities, I can no longer recommend what was a fine work. Please---do yourself a favour--at least purchase the Alfred Pocket Dictionary, small---but at least accurate---or find an older Baker edition (like the 4th edition) but don't waste your money on this !

If you're looking for the perfect little music reference book, look no further. Not only does it define musical terms, it tells you how to pronounce them properly, too. Handy "Rules for Pronouncing German, French, and Italian" are found the Introduction, and each non-English musical term listed in the manual is followed by a phonetic pronunciation guide. A useful Comparative Table of Tempo Marks and basic music theory information (clefs, the circle of keys, etc.) are also found in the Introduction. As an added bonus, a surprisingly comprehensive Biographical List of Noteworthy Musicians (including dates) appears in the back. Whether you're looking for a small music dictionary to stash in your instrument case or a handy reference to keep on your desk, you can't go wrong with the Schirmer Pronouncing Pocket Manual of Musical Terms.

Overall, this is a good work. It defines many important terms
in simple english. The work will serve anyone learning a
piece of music for the first time while struggling through
new terms and precise terminology set forth in musical score-
particularly classical music. Try on some of these terms for
size- aufgeweckt,assai,cornon etc. You can see why a
pocket-manual is a necessity. Professional students or those
pursuing a music degree will find this work most valuable.
Performers should utilize this book in official competitions
because judges review the score very carefully and apply
the composer's notations quite literally.

Reference books aren't novels...they're of little or no use without an index. My Oxford Concise Dictionary of Music app for iPhone is a little better, but I can still find any musical term or personage or concept exponentially faster with Google. Don't waste your coins on this.

A great source of musical terms in a small volume. We expected much and got more.

This book is a valuable resource for any musician to have. It is a comprehensive collection of musical terms in a small size that is handy to store or take along with you. I have had a copy of this book since 1966. My earlier edition is even a smaller size than this current edition(I prefer the smaller size). But I am thrilled to give these books to my more serious piano students.

A great resource for the musician or music lover. Much is packed into this small book. As a music educator myself of 30+ years, I really don't see what the big deal is about how it has "PC" content. I buy it for all my private music students as they graduate and move on into music. My own copy (3rd edition) is quite dog eared!

While a pocket dictionary of this sort will never place The Harvard Dictionary of Music, it is the best portable music dictionary that I have found. I recommend it to my private students as something that should accompany them to the practice room.